Premium-quality synthetic maki-e brush made by Pentel in Japan 
To relief the demand for fine traditional maki-e brushes and the insufficient artisans making cat-hair maki-e brush, Wajima Lacquer Craft Association partnered with well-known Japanese pen company Pentel to develop this premium-quality synthetic maki-e brush.  The quality has been tested and approved by traditional maki-e artisans to be a good substitution for traditional cat-hair brushes.  
This maki-e kintsugi brush is developed and made in Wajima, a town most reputable for maki-e and urushi craft in Japan.  Magnitude 7 earthquake in Noto (Wajima) on Jan 1 2024 has halted production for awhile.  As of November 2024, we are notified that production has started again!!   Order now be be the first one to receive these brushes.  
 
Not all nylon brushes are created equal. We conducted a brush test to review a few available kintsugi brushes in the market.  On the synthetic brush side, this Pentel maki-e brush is the winner!
 
Reputable Wajima Lacquer Craft Association partnered with well-known Japanese pen company Pentel to develop this premium-quality product to address the lack of artisans making traditional cat-hair maki-e brushes.  As hand-made maki-e brush is becoming extremely limit in supply, the lacquer craft industry saw the need to have a synthetic brush that performs comparably close to the traditional cat-hair maki-e brush.  Typical nylon brush is harder to bend and have blunt hair tip, which affects its performance in delicate brushwork of maki-e craft.  Pentel developed this synthetic nylon extrusion that replicates the same "bend and bounce" and tapered fine tip of natural cat-hair.  As a result, this synthetic maki-e brush performs the same as traditional cat-hair brush, with no other synthetic brush in the market can match.  
 
Follow the same steps in cleaning this brush as with all other maki-e brushes.  However, the brush head is non-removable (less loose part to clean and maintain!) and synthethic nylon makes it more durable than natural-hair. 
 
Check out our 3-part Brush Talk videos to see the explanation and recommendation of brushes for kintsugi use.  (free sign-up)
 
Maki-e brush is a very unique but essential tool in kintsugi craft! Once you mastered painting with it, you would not want to use any other brushes in painting with lacquer.  Check out our product video comparing natural-hair brush and synthetic nylon brush.  
 
 
INVENTORY
*** We only carry very small inventory as the demand for good maki-e brushes is high and supply is not sufficient even for Japan's domestic market.  If out-of-stock, we accept pre-order so we can hold the item for you when we receive the new batch. If you need assistance in choosing brushes, email us and we will make recommendations.  Or check out our brush talk videos to learn more about how to choose brushes.